Work Item Transitions

A work item transition (also called a workflow transition) works like this:

Create work item type transitions and approval lists A user with administrator permissions for the Workflow tab creates the work item type transitions and approval lists to be used in the Workflow tab in the System Settings module. Your administrator defines all of the transition possibilities that are available for each work item type. The only exceptions are that items may never be transitioned to the portfolio work item type and the portfolio work item type may never be transitioned to another work item type.
Choose a transition A user with edit-level permissions for the Workflow tab in the Projects module selects a work item, and then selects the Workflow. The Workflow tab opens and all the work item type transitions defined for the selected item's work item type are displayed on the Transition tab. The transitions with a green pathway line are the work item type transitions the work item in its current state can make. To review the defined criteria for the transition, click the diamond in the Criteria column. To review a transition's required approvals, click the diamond in the Approval column. The Target column displays the name of each transition's destination work item type. A diamond only appears in the Approval column if an approval list is assigned to the transition, and a diamond only appears in the Criteria column if transition criteria are defined for the transition.
Start a transition A user with edit-level permissions for the Workflow tab selects a work item type transition for the selected work item and starts the transition. After a work item type transition is started the work item cannot be edited until the transition is finished.
Approve the transition If the transition does not require approvals, the transition creator or a user with administrator permissions for the Workflow tab finishes the work item type transition. Finishing the transition changes the item's work item type to the new work item type, and places the work item in the selected destination. If the transition requires approvals, the system generates and sends the Approval Required notification to the required approvers, requesting the approver review and approve the item's work item type transition.
Finish the transition If all approvers approve the work item type transition, the transition creator or a user with administrator permissions for the Workflow tab can finish the work item type transition. Finishing the transition changes the item's work item type to the new work item type, and places the work item in the selected destination. If one or more approvers reject the transition, the transition creator or a user with administrator permissions for the Workflow tab can finish the transition, override the rejection(s) and finish the transition, or they can cancel the work item type transition and return the work item to its original state. Whether a work item transition is finished or canceled, the history of a work item type transition is retained on the History tab in the Workflow tab for the life of the work item.

Canceling a transition

If you are the user who has started a work item type transition and the transition has not finished, you may cancel it. Click the destination work item type to which the work item will be transitioned, and select Cancel. This will open the Cancel Transition dialog box. Transitions may be canceled whether or not the approval process is complete and whether or not the transition has been approved (or rejected) by any member of the approval list. Canceling a transition will remove all approvals (and rejections), will delete any pending approval notifications, and will revert the work item type back into its original state. If you want to resubmit a canceled transition to the approval process, you must restart the transition.

To cancel a work item type transition

Open the Projects module.
Select a work item.
Select the Workflow tab.
In the Target column, click the target rectangle for the transition you want to cancel, then select Cancel from the menu that appears. Transitions may be canceled whether or not all required approvers have approved them. You can only finish a transition if you are the user that started the transition, or an administrator.

Finishing a transition

There are two ways to finish a work item type transition: manually after all members of an approval list have approved (or rejected) the transaction or automatically when approvals are not required. Click the destination work item type to which the work item is being transitioned, and select Finish. The work item will be converted into the destination work item type. If the transition is approved by all members of the approval list (or when approvals were not required), the work item is placed in the destination for approved projects; if the transition has been rejected by any member in the approval list, it is placed in the rejected destination. Only the team member who started the transition process (or an administrator) can finish a transition.

To finish a work item type transition

Open the Projects module.
Select a work item.
Select the Workflow tab.
In the Target column, click the target rectangle for the transition you want to finish, then select Finish from the menu that appears. Transitions may be canceled whether or not all required approvers have approved them. You can only finish a transition if you are the user that started the transition, or an administrator.

Starting a transition

When a transition path meets all of the required conditions, any user with edit-level permissions for the Workflow tab can start a transition. Click the destination work item type to which the work item will be transitioned, and select Start. This will open the transition Properties dialog box into which approval (and rejection) destinations, an expiration date, and any notes are specified. After a transition has started, notifications are sent to members of the approval list and all other possible transition paths are grayed out. After a transition has started, a work item cannot be edited until the transition is finished. Starting a transition that does not require approval also finishes the transaction.

To start a work item type transition

Open the Projects module.
Choose a work item.
Select the Workflow tab.
Select the Transition tab.
For a valid workflow transition path, click the rectangle in the Target column for the transition you want to start. Select Start.
In the transition Properties dialog box, select the location in the work item tree to which the work item will be placed if it is approved and if it is rejected.
Set the expiration date for the workflow transition. Approvals will need to be completed by this date. If the transition is not completed by this date, a Transition Not Completed notification will be sent to the user who started the transition. The Transition expiration setting is only used for tracking purposes, and it does not require follow-up action from members of the transition approval list or from the team member who started the workflow transition.
Click Save.

Viewing a transition

Item type transitions are available in the Workflow tab.

To view a work item type transition

Open the Projects module.
Choose a work item.
Select the Workflow tab.
Select the History tab.
Select the name of the transition you want to view in the Transitions list.

Viewing a transition history

Select the History tab to view a work item transition history. The History tab displays a transition's description, the action taken, the name of the user who performed the action, and any notes entered by an approver, transition creator, or Workflow tab administrator.

To view a work item transition history

Open the Projects module.
Choose a work item.
Select the Workflow tab.
Select the History tab.
Select the name of the transition you want to view in the Transitions list.

Viewing transition properties

Click the destination work item type to which the work item is being transitioned, and select Properties.

To view work item type transition properties

Open the Projects module.
Choose a work item.
Select the Workflow tab.
Select a workflow transition. In the Target column, click Project and then select Properties.